Revelations
by WriteFF13
Summary: A Worlds Collide bonus chapter. After spending months in Edge, Lightning finally begins to feel like she belongs. Teaching her how to let go and have fun is Tifa, who throws a party and invites everyone in Edge. But Lightning soon realizes that wherever she stands, there will always be death.
1. Acceptance

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **So this is another filler chapter until I get the actual chapter out for _Worlds Collide_. And yes_, _unlike _On the Beat, _this chapter will be used in the actual story, however it will be altered a bit from this one. Thanks for sticking with me! Read, review, and enjoy!

Write on,

**WriteFF13 **

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**.:WORLDS COLLIDE: REVELATIONS:.**

_Chapter 1 – Acceptance_

"Uh…no thanks. I think I'll skip…"

Tifa fixed Lightning with her "Excuse me?" look, but Lightning took it on with her own infamous Farron glare. Finally Tifa just smiled slyly. Lightning eyed her, wondering what was up her sleeve.

"Well, if you won't go, then I suppose I'll just have to _happen _to forget where I put your gunblade…" Tifa mused, taking on an infuriatingly fake expression.

_WHAT._

Lightning whipped her head around the corner to peer in the hallway closet, where Tifa demanded that she and Cloud's weapons be stored, as they were deemed too "dangerous" around Denzel and Marlene. As if they both knew not to mess with them anyways.

Lightning narrowed her eyes. Cloud's fused sword was there, leaning against the wood panels of the wall, but the Blazefire Saber was nowhere to be found.

Lightning folded her arms and stared Tifa down.

Tifa looked away and acted as if she hadn't noticed anything.

"Oh well, I suppose it's lost. That's unfortunate, isn't it, _Miss Farron?_" she grinned mischievously at Lightning, then gestured towards the chair next to her bed. A pile of hideous fabric – as Lightning described it anyhow – was laid out, as if awaiting a woman to adorn it. "I guess that means you can't fight anymore. Shame. Although, I think I might remember where it was last if you just put it on and came to the party…"

_That––! _

Tifa put a hand on her hip and tapped her foot impatiently. Every thud on the floorboards was like a blow to Lightning's ego…slowly wearing her down.

Go to the damn party…or go without her gunblade for who knows how long?

Lightning gritted her teeth.

_Damnit. _

"And I thought _Cloud _was a handful," Lightning muttered, and furiously snatched the black fabric up, looking at it with disgust. "Now where's my gunblade?"

Tifa clapped and twirled her finger in a circle in front of Lightning's face. "Nuh-uh; not until you come to the party!"

"Fine."

"You'll look great, if that's what you're worried about," Tifa said, trying to reassure her.

"It's not the dress I'm particularly worried about…" Lightning muttered.

_It's my own damn reputation. _

Well hell, Lightning thought, if Cloud's in a tux, then I guess we'll both go through this party with wounded egos. We're even, anyways.

Tifa was already leaving the room and shutting the door, giving her privacy. Lightning could sense Tifa's smile from the other side of the door as she descended the stairs to the restaurant level.

Lightning sighed and looked at the dress.

_I've gotten too soft. Since when have _I _ever let anyone besides Serah persuade me to do anything? _

After un-strapping her pack and holster, she undressed and slipped the black dress on, feeling very uncomfortable. Lightning looked sorrowfully at her Guardian Corps uniform and back down at herself in the mirror that leaned against the wall.

It reflected a beautiful young woman, donned in a midnight black silk halter top that tied behind her neck, and only a few inches above her knees. Silky, pale-pink hair that spiked on the right side of her head and draped over her right shoulder framed a heart-shaped face and bright, blue eyes that pierced the relative darkness of the room. The black dress contrasted with her lighter skin to give her a radiant glow that no uniform ever could.

_Is that…really me? _

Years and years of training in the Guardian Corps had hardened Lightning into a cold, unforgiving soldier that had no time to stare at herself in the mirror. She applied little makeup, threw on her uniform, and that was it. The last time she remembered wearing a dress was sixteen years ago, when she was five years old.

Suddenly she laughed and shook her head, turning away from the mirror. She inspected the shoes that Tifa had dropped next to the dress and put them on.

_Look at me, staring at my reflection in a mirror. What would the Lieutenant say? _She thought as she strapped the small-heeled shoes on. They were black as well. The heel was about two inches tall, nothing to worry about too much, to Lightning's relief. Tifa had probably assumed that the tough soldier had probably never worn heels much before.

And she was right.

The pink-haired soldier wobbled unsteadily but after a few steps towards the door out of Tifa's room, she found them fairly easy to walk in. She had neatly folded her uniform and tucked it into a cubby in one of the drawers near the door. The only remaining accessories she still had on were her black armbands and lightning bolt necklace, which glinted in the light.

She creaked the door open and stepped out into the hallway, the dread of entering a party that was probably packed with the entire population of Edge beginning to turn her feet to lead. However, steeling her nerves, she descended the stairs to wait for Tifa Lockhart, her new–and temporary–arch nemesis…

Who was sitting at a bar stool in a purple dress and purple flats, running her hands through her hair and adjusting a sort of ring on her finger. Lightning fixed a frown on her face and allowed her footsteps to be heard, the heels clicking on the wood floor.

Tifa glanced over and beamed; she jumped up and put both hands on her hips. Her hair had been put back in a pony tail that was draped over her shoulder. A new set of earrings were in her ears; small wolf heads whose jaws were gaping wide open, their fur slicked back.

_Cloud. _

Tifa suddenly wrapped Lightning in a hug, grinning from ear to ear. Lightning was taken by surprise and awkwardly patted her on the back.

"You look amazing, Light!" she beamed, looking her up and down. Her chocolate-wine eyes stopped at her necklace, however, and the edge of her lip turned down. "Hmm…hold on."

She let go of Lightning's arms and dug in a hidden pocket in the folds of her purple dress – a strapless that accented Tifa's raven hair and creamy skin – and opened up her palm to reveal a small square box. She placed it in Lightning's hands.

The soldier looked at her in confusion.

"What is this?" she asked, opening the top.

Tifa smiled gently. "It's a gift from us – a welcoming into the Lockhart-Strife-Wallace family. You have Serah back in your world, but here, we're all your family."

Lightning didn't know what to say, so she shut her mouth and lifted a small piece of foam to reveal a fierce wolf head that was in mid-snarl. Its eyes glittered with obsidian stone; the entire head was intricately detailed and elegant. Lightning deftly picked it up and set the box down on the bar counter. A small chain was attached to the back of the head:

A necklace.

As she snapped the two chains together around her neck, a strange sense of warmth and belonging rushed through her, a kind of reassuring feeling that had been hiding since the day that she arrived here with Mog through the Historia Crux. The whole time she had been in Edge, she had felt like an outsider, an intruder that didn't belong.

Now, she could see that she'd been wrong. Everyone, even the more reluctant members of the once-AVALANCHE had accepted her from the very beginning and trusted her, even when she had not done the same. In many ways, this symbol of friendship was more than Lightning had ever imagined.

A strange feeling rose in the back of her throat.

She didn't recognize it, or that it was associated with this sudden emotion of acceptance. She was…a part of their family now, so to speak.

Lightning closed her eyes, her hair falling forward to shield her face.

_This feeling…I haven't felt it nearly seven years. The warmth of a true family. _

She clutched the wolf in her hand and looked up. A faint smile was on Lightning's face now. Tifa was glad. Although Lightning had known Cloud longer, Tifa was the only one who could read her expressions, and she had seen Lightning's happiness through her own eyes.

_It's the least I can do. She's never experienced a proper family before; and had to grow up much, much too early. _

"Thank you…Tifa."

The sudden words broke the silence and Tifa's thoughts. She smiled, however, and gave her another hug. Sometimes, when she met lonely people, those who were lost, she felt an emotion stir, and her natural motherly nature shone through, like now. It was times like these where she realized that in some ways, Lightning could be tamed, in a sense. She just needed the assurance that she was not alone in this battle.

Tifa unwrapped her arms around her friend and led her out the door. She opened it for her.

"Oh! I need to lock up really quick, and then we can head out," Tifa said.

"I think I'll head out first and wait for you there," Lightning said, facing away from her. She was gazing at the moon. Its pearl-white beams shot through her pink hair, casting a shadow behind her. "If you wouldn't mind."

Tifa was surprised. "Sure. You remember where it is, right?" Lightning nodded. "Great. Then I'll see you at the party!"

Lightning gave a small smile and slipped down the street, heels clicking softly.

As Tifa entered Seventh Heaven for the keys to lock up the bar, she thought of that small smile Lightning had allowed…

Tifa thought sadly:

_That smile…was tinged with sadness… and pain. _

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Holy frijole, that was fun writing! Don't ask me why, it just was. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as you all wait for my next entry in the _Worlds Collide _fanfic. Let me know what you think! Were the characters kept in-character? Read, review, and enjoy!

-**WriteFF13**


	2. Dancing With the Ex Soldiers?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **The second and final chapter of this filler story. _Worlds Collide _ch. 5 is on the way, so if you haven't read the first few chapters, make sure to read them! Read, review, and enjoy!

After the line separating the last half of the story, feel free to listen to this song from the new _Tomb Raider _2012 soundtrack, extended:

Write on,

**WriteFF13**

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**.:WORLDS COLLIDE: REVELATIONS:. **

_Chapter 2 – Dancing With the…Ex-Soldiers?_

Even if Lightning hadn't known the address of the building where the party was being held, she would still be able to hear it from a mile away. As Lightning made her way through the damp and darkened streets of Edge, music boomed into the night, crushing any silence Lightning would have liked to have that night.

But after all – it was a party, and parties tended to be loud.

The building was actually someone's house, obviously belonging to one of the richer folks of Edge. The front door was open, and porch wrapped around the house, all the way to the backyard, which was backed up into the wasteland surrounding Edge. Lightning scowled at the paper bags that were lined on the edges of the walkways; lit inside with small candles. There were also rose petals strewn everywhere, giving the crisp, outside air a pleasant aroma.

Rose petals? That helped.

Inside the house, music played and laughs boomed an carried all the way to Lightning's ears; it sounded like many people had already spilled out of the house and into the backyard, where there was probably a pool, judging by the loud splashes of water and screams.

Lightning sighed and walked forward, ascending the steps and walking through the door. Her white dress swished softly. So far no one had noticed her; that was a good sign.

Now if she could just find a dark corner to sit down in until the party was over…

_"LIGHT'S HEEEERE!" _

Lightning ground her teeth together, annoyed as every head in the room turned to look at her slim figure outlined by the moonlight that poured through the doorway. A bustling in the crowd came nearer to her until a familiar face broke free: Yuffie.

The Wutai ninja, seemingly oblivious to the death glare she was receiving, cocked an eyebrow in approval at Lightning's dress. She pumped her fist in the air, and Lightning noticed she was still wearing her headband, although it contrasted strangely with her green dress. Lightning had to laugh – Yuffie was still wearing her knee-high sneakers.

"Where's Tiff?" Yuffie asked, bouncing back on her heels.

"She should be coming soon. She had to lock up the place."

Yuffie noticed Lightning's masked nervousness, and smiled brightly to try and reassure her.

"Well, there's food and really good punch! Want anything?" Yuffie asked, taking her by the arm and pulling her through the crowd, who were beginning to stare at the ex-soldier.

"Maybe a little…" Lightning mumbled, ducking her head whenever a male in the room would flash a wink in her direction, or elbow a nearby buddy to gesture towards her.

_If I don't get my gunblade back after this, there's going to be a dead Tifa Lockhart. _

The inside of the two-story house was softly lit with paper orbs, casting sufficient light on the party. As Yuffie towed Lightning into the kitchen, she was able to glance outside to see kids swimming in a gigantic pool. Small lanterns were placed around the yard, but the moon was plenty bright enough.

"So what do you want, Light?" Yuffie asked, rifling through half-eaten bowls of appetizers, snacks, and desserts.

Lightning plucked a red apple from a fruit tray and tossed it from one hand to the other. "This is good for now." A loud ruckus from the front of the house turned Yuffie's attention away, and Lightning jumped on the chance to get away. "That must be Tifa," Lightning said, and mentally celebrated when Yuffie darted through the doorway to greet her friend.

Finally. Alone.

She fingered the wolf head around her necklace and thought back to when she received it from Tifa. She smiled softly.

"So she talked you into coming, huh?"

Lightning whirled around and took a step back in surprise. Cloud had appeared behind her silently as she stared off into space. In the darkness of the house, Cloud's Mako eyes glowed, watching her silently.

The edge of her mouth twitched.

"More like _threatened_," Lightning corrected, scowling at the thought of her gunblade lying at the bottom of a gutter. Tifa would never do anything to her weapon, but…

A faint smirk touched Cloud's features as he adjusted the cuff of his own outfit, which he looked extremely uncomfortable in.

"She pulled the 'I'll take your weapon' card, didn't she?" Cloud said.

"Yep…and speak of the devil," Lightning muttered as Tifa burst through the hallway, her smile instantly widening when she saw the two of them.

"Hey you two! I'm glad you found the place, Light," Tifa said, smiling warmly.

"Well, I could hear the party a mile away."

Tifa folded her arms and stared at Lightning, searching her crystal blue eyes for any sign that she was actually enjoying herself. However, Lightning was not so easy to read, just like Cloud.

"Aren't you enjoying yourself?" Tifa asked.

"Not particularly, no," Lightning answered smoothly.

Tifa turned to Cloud.

"What she said."

Tifa sighed, but wacked their arms and stuck her thumb over her shoulder towards the sliding glass door. "Well, maybe you two could loosen up a bit by dancing with everyone! Yuffie says they're about to start. And don't think you're going to sit in a corner all night and not _socialize _like normal people."

Cloud and Lightning glanced at each other.

That was _exactly _what they were thinking.

Ten minutes later, Tifa had finally managed to drag them to the wide patio that was being used for the dancing. Couples, friends, and kids alike were dancing in the center as a peculiar-looking DJ sorted through music CDs to play in the oversized stereo. Cloud spotted him and laughed.

Lightning followed his gaze to Cid, who was looking very grumpy behind the DJ table. Every CD he retrieved from the bottom of a box, he threw it over his shoulder, cigarette poking out of the side of his mouth.

Lightning turned to ask Tifa something, but the brunette was nowhere to be found.

"Looks like she disappeared," Lightning remarked, crossing her arms.

Unknowingly, they had both folded their arms at the same time.

Cid grunted and shoved a CD into the stereo, then sat back and took a drink from a soda bottle.

"I give up. Dance to whatever you want," he said, and proceeded to fall asleep, hands folded behind his head.

Lightning cocked her ear to catch the music that was starting. She glanced at the stereo text screen, which flashed the name of the song in illuminated green letters.

"La Nube Negra…from _Bleach?_" she read, confused.

Cloud shrugged. "Never heard of it."

"As long as Tifa isn't here to spot us not dancing, we should be–"

"As long as _who _isn't here?"

Cloud and Lightning both cringed and looked over their shoulders as Tifa smiled mischievously at them. Seeing her expectant face, they both turned away and hunkered their shoulders, huffing like pouting children.

Tifa was about to grab Cloud's hand when she though of a better idea. She grabbed Cloud's shoulder and Lightning's hand, then turned them towards each other so that they were facing each other and standing just a _little _too close for their comfort.

"Tifa–" they warned, edging away.

However, being a martial artist master, Tifa had the arm strength of a boxer when she summoned it. She rested Lightning's hand on Cloud's shoulder and placed Cloud's hands on Lightning's waist.

"There," Tifa said, laughing when they fixed her with a scowl. "Come on, just dance! Everyone else is, and who knows, maybe one of you has dance skills that need to be awoken. And besides, you two are the most alike, might as well be uncomfortable together, right?"

"That's the worst logic I've ever heard," Lightning snapped, irritated.

It was not so much the dancing part – she knew she could dance a _little_ – it was the fact that the song choice was unheard of, she was dancing with _Cloud_, who could probably break her toe by stepping on it, and they were in the middle of a crowd who already thought they had a "thing" going on. Lightning had explained once before that she and Cloud were both Etro's Children, and so they were tied together by fate, but Edge didn't want to have any of it.

_Great. Now I'm starting to wonder if that gunblade was worth this. _

Lightning was also painfully aware that Barrett was watching her from the food table. A second before Tifa had barged in, he had been minding his own business and helping Marlene to a serving of chocolate cake when his head had snapped over to stare at her.

Lightning's head fell forward, her pale pink fringe brushing her forehead.

"…?" Cloud had begun to step back; Lightning's feet glided forward of their own accord as the cello in the song began to get louder.

"Nothing. Just how happy everyone is that I'm here," Lightning said half sarcastic, half serious. She lifted her eyes but focused on anything but Cloud's face and the other dancers.

Unfortunately, Lightning was nearly as tall as Cloud, so it was difficult to keep her eyes away. The whole experience was slowly punching her reputation down the drain.

"You won't be here very much longer, though. Doesn't that make it better?" Cloud said as they whirled slightly on the dance floor.

It wasn't only until later that they both realized they had been dancing to the beat of "La Nube Negra" as neighboring dancers had to sometimes step out of their way.

"No, not really."

Her heeled foot swept across the floor in a half-circle.

Cloud noticed the wolf head swinging from her neck; it matched his own earring perfectly. "Lonely Wof…where did you get that?"

Lightning looked down at it. "Tifa gave it to me before we came."

"Mm."

"I thought I remember you saying you couldn't dance?" Lightning teased.

"I didn't know you _could _dance," Cloud responded, taking her hand and spinning her in a circle. Through her blur of pink hair he saw her smirk, then a hand shot out, palm and fingers flat. Her fingers were stopped just an inch from his chest. Another hand snaked out and, in the same figuration as the hand, went to dive at him; Cloud snatched both hands form the air and clamped them down with one hand.

Lightning was looking at him with a devilish glint in her eyes as she tore away from him, hands in front of her to block herself from any sudden moves.

Cloud mimicked her position an noted the next song on Cid's album.

The other dancers had ceased their movements and formed a half circle around the two, beginning to clap their hands to the beat of the new song; whistling in Lightning's favor, roaring out Cloud's name in his.

"La Distancia Para Un Duelo," Lightning said.

Cloud allowed a smile to appear.

"'Distance from the duel.'"

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Yeah, I know this is very weird for me to write, but it all came while I was listening to "La Nube Negra" and "La Distancia Para Un Duelo" from the _Bleach _anime soundtrack. So please, listen to either one during this chapter using YouTube:

"**Bleach OST La Nube Negra" **and "**Bleach OST La Distancia Para Un Duelo"**

I hope Lightning and everyone else where kept in character for the majority of the story. Obviously none of them would be dancing, but it's for the purpose of this story. And if you're wondering what "Etro's Children" is, it is the chosen "children" picked by Etro to guard the Death Realms: Valhalla, and another realm. This story is a filler chapter for _Worlds Collide_, remember, and will be included in the story, albeit a little different. And no, Lightning and Cloud are not a pairing in this story, however, their personalities clash and they are often eagar to test one or the other's abilities. In this case, Lightning had the element of surprise.

**Also, Lightning's flat-handed arm movements is taken from the Arrancar's way of punching a Hollow hole in their victims from the Bleach anime. In this case, it is a combination of this, and wing-chun.

Keep reading for the final chapter of this filler!

-**WriteFF13**


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